Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Zhou Yi (周漪) |
| Alias(es) | “Old Hag Zhou,” a derogatory nickname used by Huo Yuhao 13 |
| Gender | Female 14 |
| Affiliation | Shrek Academy; initially the Outer Court Martial Soul Department, later transferred to the Soul Tool Department 17 23 26 |
| Occupation/Role | Former homeroom teacher of Freshman Class One 14 26 |
| Cultivation | Six-Ring Soul Emperor 14 |
| Soul Ring Configuration | Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black 14 |
| Status | Transferred out of freshman teaching; her specific Soul Tool Department duties are not established 23 26 |
| First Appearance | Named as the homeroom teacher in Chapter 13; appears in person in Chapter 14 13 14 |
Appearance
- Elderly appearance: Wrinkled skin, crane-white hair coiled atop her head, and an average build 14.
- Eyes: Exceptionally bright black eyes with a keen, penetrating gaze 14.
- Posture: Holds her back perfectly straight despite her apparent age 14.
- Clothing: Wears a long white robe when she first enters Freshman Class One 14.
- Combat manifestation: Red scales cover her hand as it transforms into a dragon’s claw 15.
Personality
Zhou Yi is authoritarian, quick-tempered, and deeply invested in being feared and respected. She introduces her class through insults and warnings, declaring that she intends to cultivate “monsters, not idiots.” When Huo Yuhao questions her judgment, she uses her Soul Emperor cultivation to intimidate him rather than address his criticism 14.
She equates courage with confronting stronger opponents, even when students have little to gain. After appointing Huo Yuhao class monitor, she punishes everyone else for declining to challenge him. Her abrupt shifts from praise to hostility make her treatment of students unpredictable 16.
Her pride is particularly vulnerable to criticism of her teaching record. She claims lifelong devotion to Shrek and exceptional success in training students, but reacts violently when Huo Yuhao asks whether she remains in contact with former pupils who entered the Inner Court. By contrast, she backs down when Dai Yueheng threatens an official misconduct report, recognizing the danger to her career 15 17.
Abilities & Skills
Soul Emperor Cultivation
- Possesses six soul rings: two yellow, two purple, and two black 14.
- Projects oppressive soul power to establish authority over freshmen 14 16.
- Her pressure fails to intimidate Huo Yuhao, despite his having only four rings during their first confrontation 14.
Dragon-Claw Transformation
- Transforms her hand into a red-scaled dragon’s claw for close-range attacks 15.
- Attempts to tear open Huo Yuhao’s skull during their fight 15.
- Huo Yuhao reads her movements with Spiritual Detection and defeats her through evasions and close-combat grappling 15.
Teaching and Assessment Preparation
- Conducts recurring physical-training classes; after her first-day confrontation, their intensity becomes more moderate 19.
- Explains cultivation specializations and the Freshman Assessment’s three-person team format 19.
- Directs Wang Dong to register as a control-system Soul Master so that the seeded trio avoids the prohibited two-power-attack, one-control configuration 19.
- Relies heavily on threats of expulsion or punishment to motivate students 16 19 22.
History
First Class and Defeat
Zhou Yi begins teaching Freshman Class One by warning that weak students will not pass her assessments. Huo Yuhao challenges her for judging the class before knowing its members. His four-ring cultivation impresses her, but she refuses to concede and argues that cultivation means nothing if its owner is killed 14.
When he dares her to act, Zhou Yi attacks inside the classroom. Huo Yuhao draws them into his Mist Arena, a stone-forest battlefield that excludes the other students. His karmic flames burn her despite her attempts to extinguish them with soul power. He attributes their effectiveness to the harm she has done to students, and the narration likewise describes her as having obstructed countless students’ futures 15.
Her anger escalates into a lethal claw attack. Huo Yuhao evades it, seizes her by the neck, and pins her down. He ends the fight without seriously injuring her, removes the flames, and returns them to the classroom 15.
Class Monitor Dispute
Afterward, Zhou Yi unexpectedly praises Huo Yuhao’s defiance and appoints him class monitor, allowing anyone who defeats him to replace him. When no one challenges him, she orders every other student to run fifty laps within one hour, threatening expulsion for failure 16.
Huo Yuhao opposes the punishment, arguing that recognizing one’s limits is sound judgment rather than cowardice. Dai Yueheng intervenes and threatens to report Zhou Yi to the Academic Affairs Office. Knowing that Du Weilun is unlikely to support her over an Inner Court disciple, she abandons the punishment and sends the students back to class 16 17.
Freshman Assessment and Transfer
Over the following three months, Zhou Yi stops singling out Huo Yuhao but continues physical training and intimidation. Before the Freshman Assessment, she helps arrange his team’s specialization choices while threatening students who fail 19.
Only nine students from her class reach the knockout tournament. She scolds the others and promises harsh training, while warning Huo Yuhao against complacency 22.
During the elimination rounds, Mu Jin reveals that she will be transferred to the Soul Tool Department regardless of her team’s result. He also challenges her claim to credit for Huo Yuhao’s strength, pointing out that the boy entered Shrek already at Soul Ancestor rank. Dai Yueheng later confirms the transfer; Huo Yuhao’s team winning the championship does not preserve her teaching position 23 25 26.
Relationships
- Huo Yuhao — Former student and principal opponent. He defeats her, challenges her punishments, and openly rejects her pressure-based teaching 14 15 16 19.
- Dai Yueheng — Inner Court disciple who intervenes against her treatment of Class One. His threat of an official complaint forces her to retreat 17.
- Fan Yu — Romantic partner whose standing provides her with institutional support; Dai Yueheng explicitly refuses to be intimidated by her lover 17.
- Du Weilun — Academy authority on whom her prospects for senior-teacher status depend. She believes he would not take her side against Dai Yueheng 17.
- Mu Jin — Rival teacher who mocks her class’s results, disputes her teaching credit, and announces her impending transfer 23.
- Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao — Members of her seeded assessment team alongside Huo Yuhao; she adjusts Wang Dong’s registered specialization to accommodate the trio 19.
Notable Quotes
“What I intend to cultivate are monsters, not idiots.” 14
“Starting today, as the homeroom teacher of Freshman Class One, I officially appoint Huo Yuhao as its class monitor.” 16
“Quality matters, not quantity.” 23